Gatorade Looks Back to Look Forward

Gatorade’s latest ad, “All For Fun” is a clever mash-up of two styles of ad which individually tend to score highly in Test Your Ad. There’s the nostalgia trip, looking back to childhood with a classic old-school soundtrack. And there’s the sports inspiration ad, celebrating achievement on the field. Two very powerful approaches which trigger two quite different kinds of happiness.

Gatorade positions itself as the link between the two scenarios. The kids playing ball on the street drinking Gatorade become the athletes of the future. “Fuel Tomorrow” is the strapline. It’s a rare twist on the nostalgic ad which ends up focusing on what happens next, not what happened back then. The ad makes a point of featuring real young athletes and celebrating an upcoming generation of sports stars, as well as including a few older, famous names too.

But there’s plenty of “back then” to enjoy too – home movie style footage of kids playing sports which keeps the happiness level high right from the beginning. The soundtrack is a remixed version of Ahmad’s hit “Back In The Day” – not exactly a subtle pick but a very strong one, as its beats are laid-back enough to fit with the lazy summer fun of the past but also hard-hitting enough to step up to the footage of present-day triumphs.

The film and music mesh perfectly, the cuts and scratches in the music sparking transitions in the film and making the standard sports montage effect feel organic, like a DJ mix not just a showreel. It’s no surprise that the ad ends up testing extremely well, earning a very strong 4.8-Star Rating and absolutely smashing the short-term Spike Rating with a truly Exceptional score. Testament to the motivating nature of the ad. It’s well-timed, too, as in an abnormally hot summer it’s no wonder people are thinking both of the summers of their youth and of thirst-quenching drinks.

Gatorade’s overall Fuel Tomorrow platform is all about inclusivity and creating opportunities for the next generation of young people wanting to get involved in sports. The brand, and agency parner TBWA\Chiat\Day LA, have brought that proposition to life in an ad that appeals across ages thanks to its canny blend of nostalgia and hope.